When I receive an online survey form I often think – Will anyone actually read this form or will a computer just scan the responses and store them in a database? Will my responses just be a dot in the composite data collection?
On the day I posted my article I received a Customer Satisfaction Survey Form request from Thor Motor Coach.
Since it was mailed a few days prior to my publishing my article, I cannot credit my powerful, compelling writing with me receiving the survey from Thor. But I am very happy that the Thor Customer Satisfaction sent me the survey.
Of course I was very interested in completing the survey. If you read my last article on this subject, it will not be a surprise to you that Thor Motor Coach did not receive high marks on the survey form. I think my 2000 character description of the current status will clearly identify to Thor why they received very low scores. They now know I have very serious issues with their product.
So now this is the question – will a human ever review my survey? Will the Customer Satisfaction Team ever reach out to me?
To be fair I must let you know this is my first time dealing directly with the Thor Motor Coach company. My dealings have been with the RV dealership and the RAM Service Center. So Thor begins with a clear sheet of paper.
After completing the survey I received an email from the Thor Customer Satisfaction Team. It said:
Thank you for participating in the Thor Motor Coach customer satisfaction survey process. Our goal is to continue to provide superior products and services. The feedback you provided will assist us in meeting this goal.
Your response will be reviewed by our dealer and product support teams. If we identify that we have not met your expectations, we will take the necessary steps to follow-up to achieve an amicable outcome.
Sincerely,
Customer Satisfaction Team
Now the question is – Is this Thor goal part of its marketing campaign or part of the company’s mission?
Time will tell and so will I.
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Is Peters RAM in Longview Texas Where RVs Go To Die?
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By Ron Munden
The Quick Version
On July 21, 2022 I bought an RV. I have had numerous small problems with the RV which were addressed by the RV dealer. The cab air conditioning stopped cooling in August. The RV Dealer said it was under RAM warranty and I needed to take it to a RAM dealer. On September 1, 2022 I took it to Peters RAM to do the warranty repairs. As of September 20, 2022 they still have the vehicle and there are no signs of progress. I have never been able to use the unit and next week I make my first payment of many.
A Longer Version
On July 21, 2022 I became the proud owner of a new Thor Sequence RV which is built on a RAM ProMaster frame.
I have had a series of problems. I drove the RV to Missouri where I purchased it and the dealer fixed the house problems.
On the drive up to Missouri the A/C in the cab stopped cooling. When I reported this to the RV dealer, I was told that this was under the RAM warranty and I should take it to a RAM dealer for repairs. The lack of A/C has made the vehicle unusable. I just hate driving around on a 100 degree day without A/C.
The RAM dealer in Marshall said they were not certified for RAM Pro Master work and referred me to Peters RAM in Longview Texas.
I called Peters for an appointment and was told I could not make an appointment for A/C repairs. They said I would need to drive it over and they would “work it in” but they could not guarantee one-day repairs so I would need to drop it off and they would call me when it was ready.
I arranged for someone to pick me up in Longview and drive me back to Marshall. On September 1, 2022 I drove the 30 miles to Peters Service Center.
Prior to taking the RV over I had experienced difficulty starting the vehicle if I turned it off and then needed to restart it within a few minutes. I had no problem if I waited a half day to restart it.
When I got to Peters I stopped the RV beside the Service Center and turned it off. I had the windows down driving over because of the lack of A/C. I realized I needed to raise the window. The vehicle would not start again.
I went into the Service Center and met a very friendly Peters’ employee. He was helpful and checked my RV in. I detailed the problems that I was having – the A/C cooling and the RV not starting a second time.
We walked outside and he verified the problems. The vehicle still would not start and jumping the battery did not work.
My ride arrived, I waved goodbye to my RV. Sadly this was the last time I saw my young RV.
Today it is September 20, 2022. Peters has never called me. Some of my calls to them have been returned. Everytime the story is the same – they have not found the problem but they are still looking. They have no estimate when I might get my RV back.
Based on my conversations it appears that Peters Service Center has no clue what is wrong and they are getting NO HELP from the RAM factory.
Surely there is someone at the RAM factory that can help the Peters Service Center identify and repair these problems.
Next week I will write the check for my first RV payment. I have not been able to use the RV a single day in the two months I have had it. I had hoped that my RV and I could share the signing of that first check together but I fear we will be apart. I will be at home and my RV will be at the Peters Service Center or the Peters Graveyard.
Come-on RAM – you can do better!
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Marshall Depot Board Accepts Original Painting of the Depot From Local Artist
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At their recent monthly board meeting, the volunteer Board of Directors for the Marshall Depot Inc. (MDI) gratefully accepted a beautiful original painting of the historic Marshall Depot painted by local artist, Jack Cargill.
The Board will hang Mr. Cargill’s original acrylic painting of the Depot in the Marshall Depot Gift Shop, next to the Texas & Pacific Railway Museum, which is located on the second floor of the historic building.
Christina Anderson, president of the MDI Board, shared: “On behalf of the Marshall Depot Board, I want to say how much we appreciate the generosity of Jack Cargill in presenting to us and donating his lovely painting of Marshall’s beautiful, historic Depot. We’re delighted to receive this gift and will proudly display it.”
Jack Cargill shared: “I have always thought the Depot is a beautiful building, and the view of it from the Viaduct, with those old railroad cars in the foreground, is particularly scenic. One day I took a sketchbook and drew it from the Viaduct. Later I decided it warranted a painting, so I took a photograph, on which my acrylic painting is based.”
Mr. Cargill added: “I also love traveling by train, and I have been through that Depot on journeys to and from Chicago and California. Beautiful old buildings should be preserved; they are the ongoing history of our city — the Depot, the Ginocchio, the old Courthouse, and many others.”
A number of original paintings by Jack Cargill are currently or have been displayed in locations in downtown Marshall and in our East Texas region including at Joe Pine’s Coffee Shop, Texas Tea Room, Marshall Public Library, Warehouse 308, and the Longview Arboretum.
Ms. Anderson added: “There are many wonderful reasons to visit the Marshall Depot, Jack Cargill’s painting just adds another one. As you know, we have an outstanding Texas & Pacific Railway Museum at the Depot and we’re incredibly blessed, as a community, to be one of only 525 cities nationwide to have an Amtrak stop. This provides our community members a valuable transportation option for traveling on the Texas Eagle route and connecting to Amtrak’s vast National Network.”
Amtrak’s Texas Eagle provides long-distance daily service through Marshall between San Antonio and Chicago. Amtrak ticket agent hours every day at the Marshall Depot are: 7:00am-11am and 4:30pm-8:30pm.
The Texas Eagle train (heading west to Dallas/Fort Worth then south to San Antonio) has the scheduled departure time from Marshall each morning at 7:50am and the Texas Eagle train (heading north to Chicago) has the scheduled departure time from Marshall every evening at 7:31pm.
Ms. Anderson added that the hard-working volunteer Board of Directors is in the process of making a number of upgrades and improvements to the operation, safety, and aesthetics of the Marshall Depot and has great plans going forward. “We look forward to sharing more information about these plans and ongoing improvements in the coming weeks and months.”
She also shared that upcoming community events will include a Halloween at the Depot celebration and the Depot’s participation in Marshall’s popular Wonderland of Lights Festival.
Ms. Anderson also shared that Board Vice President Donald Hocutt and Treasurer Cathy Wright are working with the Depot Board and Depot Gift Shop manager, Abby Herman, on expanding and enhancing the inventory in the Marshall Depot Gift Shop.
She noted: “Board members and Ms. Herman are in the process of taking the steps to make the Marshall Depot Gift Shop a shopping destination for our community not only for the upcoming Christmas season but all year round.”
Marshall Depot Museum and Gift Shop hours are: Wednesday through Friday 10:00am-3:00pm; Saturday, 11:00am-3:00pm. Closed Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.
Ms. Anderson also noted that the Marshall Depot is one of the few Amtrak stops on the Texas Eagle route that is not operated by the city it serves. A volunteer Board of Directors operates the Depot as a working Amtrak station, history museum, and gift shop.
Marshall Depot Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit established in 1990 to assist the City with the restoration, operation, and maintenance of the Depot. The volunteer board raises funds, through tax-deductible donations from individuals as well grants from foundations and governmental entities such as the City of Marshall and Harrison County, to maintain the funding needed each year for the operation of the Depot, including insurance, utilities, security, safety, maintenance, and ongoing preservation of the Marshall Depot and T&P Railway Museum.
She reminded the community that the 2022 Annual Marshall Depot Fundraising campaign is still underway. The Board would appreciate community members making a tax-deductible donation by sending a check to Marshall Depot Inc, at the following address: 800 North Washington Avenue, Suite 1, Marshall, Texas 75670.
Ms. Anderson concluded: “We, on the board, are very grateful for the strong support of our City, County, and community members and for recognizing the valuable transportation asset that the Marshall Depot is and the many other benefits it provides related to economic development, tourism, education, quality of life, as well as documenting and continuing Marshall’s rich and fascinating railroad history.”
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Last month I misplaced my driver’s license. So I rode to the DMV office to get a replacement copy. My license does not expire until 2026. The last time I did this was about 10 years ago and it took me 15 minutes.
That was before our Governor and our State Legislators passed a set of voter suppression laws – sometimes called election integrity laws.
When I arrived at the DMV office two other elderly people were in line. Both wanted to renew their driver’s license. Both were told they had to have their birth certificate with them in order to renew. Neither had the document and both walked out shaking their heads.
I thought I was OK since I only wanted to get a copy of my current license and I had a photocopy of that document on my phone. I filled out a form and waited. Soon I was called to a desk. I explained I just needed a copy of my current license and showed the lady the photo of the license on my phone.
The response was, “you can’t get a copy unless you have your birth certificate with you.”
I explained that I had no idea where my birth certificate was and had not seen it for 70 years. I was told I MUST have a copy of my birth certificate or I could not get a copy of my current driver’s license. I was told to go to the county courthouse and apply for a birth certificate.
So Senior Citizen #3 left the DMV shaking his head.
I drove to the courthouse and met with two very nice ladies. I told them I needed a copy of my birthday certificate. I filled out a form and they asked to see my driver’s license.
I explained that I misplaced my drivers license and I need a copy of my birth certificate in order to get a copy of my driver’s license. We all laughed.
Luckly, the “License to Carry Handgun” card opens all doors in Texas. Being a gun-carrying Texan, I produced my card and $23 later I had my very own birth certificate.
So it was back to the DMV office with my birthday certificate. I proudly showed them my birth certificate. They were impressed. They wanted to take a picture of it. I was so excited I took a selfie of me and my birth certificate.
My birth certificate and a few dollars more got a piece of paper that said I had applied for a replacement driver’s license.
This entire effort only took 2 ½ hours and tied up three people not including yours truly.
The next morning I walked into my office, opened the top of my copy machine and there was my missing driver’s license. Sure I had wasted 2 ½ hour but I was happy with the experience. I got to see our state tax dollars at work thanks to our lawmakers in Austin.
I admire our Legislators’ attempt at making it difficult to vote in hopes that it will keep their entire party in office even if the citizens don’t want them there. Unfortunately, I think their approach was poorly thought out.
If these people were serious about security, which they were not, requiring a birth certificate is the least secure document they could have selected.
A birth certificate was designed using 1850 technology. It is the easiest document to counterfeit of all documents known to man. A 9th grade computer nerd can produce 1000’s a day working in his bedroom. I am sure there are underground operations producing counterfeit birth certificates on demand for the real bad guys. Most likely at a cost less than the $23 it costs to get a real birth certificate.
A birth certificate is a nuisance document. It makes life difficult for honest people, particularly old people, but is not a roadblock for any dishonest person.
In the 1980s I worked on Department of Defense projects that required a Top Secret SBI clearance. As part of the application process I have to provide numerous documents and fill out a stack of forms a ¼ inch high. One thing they did not require is a birth certificate. Most likely because it is a useless document when it comes to security.
So thank you Mr. Legislators for making life difficult for us old people and increasing the workload for state and county employees. When I go to bed at night, I feel much better knowing you are in bed sleeping and not out here passing more stupid laws.
Note:
While I am less than impressed with the Texas Legislature, I am very impressed with the ladies I dealt with at both the DMV office and the Harrison County Courthouse. They could not have been any more professional and courteous.
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It’s 9/11 – twenty-one years after the worst foreign terrorist attack in this nation’s history.
It is a sad day. Not because of what happened on 9/11/2001 but where the nation stands on 9/11/2022.
9/11/2001 was a sad day but that was short-lived. This nation quickly united and pulled together to get through those difficult days. For a short time we set political affiliations aside and we were one nation. That was inspiring and generated a sense of pride.
It is now twenty-one years later and this nation has moved a long way – unfortunately in the wrong direction.
Today I fear we are living through the final days of a nation with the greatest democracy that this world has ever known – the USA.
If you are thinking that these are the words of an irrational fear-monger, let me remind you that recent surveys show more than ⅔ of the people in the country share my concern .
In 2001 UNITED we stood. Twenty-one years later – DIVIDED we’ll fall.
The Queen is dead and soon American democracy will follow in her footsteps – unless the American people wake up and snatch democracy from the authoritarian jaws of death. The time is short!
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